But before that, let's settle a score," Jeno said, crouching down with a smile and grabbing Namo's other hand.
"You called me a good-for-nothing, didn't you?"
With that, Jeno pinched Namo's thumb and snapped it.
"Crack!"
A crisp sound of bone breaking echoed, and Namo, lying in the dirt, wailed again.
"Shut up! You're too loud!" Jeno raised his hand and slapped Namo twice across the face.
His head swayed from side to side like a rattle drum, and his greasy face visibly swelled.
The extreme humiliation and excruciating pain made the Lord of the Seven Seas wish for immediate death.
But the hatred for Jeno in his heart still made him choose to submit, though his yellowish-brown eyes stared fixedly at Jeno, venting his fury.
"Your noise is like that of a savage monkey; it's too loud," Jeno said, still smiling, as he snapped Namo's second finger.
"Mmm, mmm!" Namo's temples bulged, and his eyes widened, but his fear of Jeno made him clench his teeth tightly; even with blood in his mouth, he dared not make a sound.
"Flooding New York, destroying my wealth in New York!" Jeno said with a smile, snapping Namo's third finger.
The searing pain from three broken fingers was too much for Namo, and tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably as the poor wretch opened his mouth and wailed.
The arrogant man could no longer endure such torture; as a king, he had been pampered since childhood, never having experienced such torment.
"Please, Homelander! Spare me, I was wrong!"
At this moment, his heart was filled with regret; why did he have to be so clever as to provoke the damned Homelander?
Looking at Jeno through heavy eyelids, Namo felt his whole body tremble uncontrollably; this land dweller in front of him was simply a devil.
"Don't stop now, we haven't finished settling our accounts," Jeno said with a smile, interrupting Namo's plea. He was not a good person and would not choose to forgive just because someone apologized.
Jeno stood up and used his foot to flip Namo over so that he was facing the sky.
"Harassing my girlfriend, trying to be a homewrecker, right?"
Looking at Namo's broken fingers,
Jeno thought for a moment, then calmly stared at Namo's chest and said, "But seeing you in so much pain, let's change the game."
With that, Jeno's eyes glowed red, emitting scorching Heat Vision onto Namo's chest. The temperature-controlled Heat Vision pierced his skin, leaving charred marks. Ignoring Namo's screams, Jeno turned his head and branded a large English letter "loser" onto Namo's chest.
Looking at the charred red mark on the man's burnt chest hair, Natasha couldn't help but laugh. The little green tea-like girl hugged Jeno's neck adoringly and praised, "Wow, that's so creative! I'm sure this guy will think of you every time he wakes up and sees his chest in the mirror."
"No, that's not enough. We need to physically prevent his evil thoughts."
Jeno's gaze fell on Namo's lower body, and he glanced at Natasha, saying, "If I were you, I'd leave right now."
Natasha raised an eyebrow, and the experienced driver immediately guessed Jeno's intentions. She chuckled and turned to walk towards the distant building.
Jeno turned his head, his gaze fixed on Namo, and his eyes glowed red again.
"Buzz!"
Because of Namo, Natasha's plan to go to the orphanage was also ruined.
When Jeno and Natasha pushed the unconscious Namoback to the Daily Bugle building on a cart, Steve and the others stared in shock at Namo lying on the cart.
Logan looked at Namo, who resembled a pig's head, in surprise and said,
"Boss, is this the Lord of the Seven Seas? The culprit who flooded New York?"
It was no wonder Logan was surprised; Namo's appearance was truly pathetic.
His fingers were broken, his chest was branded with a charred "loser" letter, and his green shorts were soaked with blood. The unconscious man's brows were tightly furrowed, as if he was sad about losing something.
Anyone who saw him would think he was just a homeless man who had been brutally beaten.
Natasha interrupted Logan, rolling her eyes and saying,
"That's right, he's Namo. Captain and I met this idiot on the beach."
And when Namo spoke rudely, Natasha had actually already foreseen Namo's fate. The girlfriend was Jeno's forbidden fruit; even if he didn't die, he would at least lose a layer of skin.
Namo now was actually no different from being dead. After all, having lost the characteristic that men are proud of, his future days would only be bleak.
Jeno sat back down in his chair, glancing at Steve, signaling him to wake Namo up.
For the culprit who flooded New York, Electrocution KidSteve would not be polite. The man strode forward and slapped Namo twice, waking him up.
Namo's first sensation upon waking was pain, extreme pain.
A faint smell of blood also permeated the air, but as a king, Namo still gritted his teeth, regained his composure, and observed his surroundings.
He found himself lying on a cold floor, surrounded by some land dwellers, including a short man with a full beard and the red-haired woman he had seen before.
Until his gaze fell on the black-haired young man sitting in the main seat, his eyes coldly staring at Namo. Painful memories flooded his mind, and Namo let out a groundhog-like scream: "Evil, demon!"
Jeno smiled and raised a finger to his lips. Namoimmediately felt as if an invisible giant hand was choking his neck, staring at Jeno in terror, not daring to make a sound.
The air gradually quieted, and only the sound of everyone's breathing echoed in the conference room.
Everyone was looking at Jeno, waiting for him to speak.
Jeno slowly straightened his back. His index finger tapped the table, making a dull "thump-thump" sound. An invisible pressure came, making Namo tremble uncontrollably.
Jeno lazily propped his chin and said, "Namo McKenzie, right?"
The Lord of the Seven Seas now had none of his former Domineering, nodding frantically.
"Very good," Jeno said with a grin, "Nice to meet you, Namo. Now tell me, how can I contact your people to send you back?"
Namo was somewhat surprised, saying incredulously, "You, you're letting me go back?"
Jeno waved his hand and said, "Don't misunderstand, idiot. I mean, let them ransom you back."
Jeno leaned forward, looking down at Namo: "You are the Lord of the Seven Seas, the King of Atlantis. You must be worth a lot of good things, right?"
As the first race created by the Celestials when they first came to Earth, the Atlanteans had many good things in their possession. And now their king was in his hands, so he had to extort a sum and make the Atlanteans bleed heavily.
Hearing Jeno's answer, Namo was a little disappointed, but his desire for freedom still made him answer Jeno's question.
"There's a communication tool called the Magic Conch in my pants. If you blow it, it will activate the communication device inside."
Seeing this, Steve stepped forward and rummaged through Namo's pockets.
Soon, Steve pulled out a small, fishy-smelling, strangely shaped conch from Namo's blood-stained green shorts.
"Very good," Jeno said with a smile, standing up. Next, he would find the Atlanteans and discuss how much they would have to pay to ransom their king.
Chapter 112 Mutual Exploitation
Daily Bugle conference room.
When Steve blew the magical conch in his hand, a thin stream of Water flowed out of the shell's opening, converging in the air to weave a thin Water curtain.
Inside the Water curtain, there seemed to be a huge room, with massive chairs arranged from top to bottom, and the scene appeared to be bathed in a light blue hue.
Everyone stared at the Water curtain.
As the Water curtain rippled, several hunched, blue-skinned humanoids in long robes entered the Water curtain.
They curiously observed the scene within the Water curtain.
Upon seeing Namo lying on the ground like a dead dog, these blue-skinned figures, who looked like behind-the-scenes masterminds, immediately seemed to have their throats choked. Their wide blue noses took a deep breath of seawater, splashing large bubbles, and their legs involuntarily retreated.
The two groups stared at each other across the Water curtain, and the atmosphere was eerily silent.
Finally, the oldest among the blue-skinned people took a step forward, composed himself, and said with a trembling voice, "My King, what has happened?"
His first words were in a standard British London accent, so why do aliens all speak English?
Namo was about to say something, but thinking of the tyrant not far away, he closed his mouth and did not answer his Elder's question.
Jeno slowly stood up and approached the light curtain with a smile on his face.
Their eyes met, and the next second, Jeno's calm voice was heard: "Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Jeno Wilson, and I am the man your King is so determined to kill."
As he spoke, Jeno stepped on Namo's face, and under the Atlanteans Elder's furious gaze, he said, "Now your King is in my hands. Perhaps you should offer a suitable price to ransom him back. Oh, and don't try to fool me with pearls or anything like that."
For Atlanteans, pearls are like stones on the roadside; they are worthless.
Hearing Jeno's words, the Elders looked at each other, and strange smiles immediately appeared on their faces. The leading Elder spoke with a smile: "No, no, Mr. Jeno, we will not pay a ransom for this King. On the contrary, we thank you for your help."
The group exchanged glances, and the leading Elderstraightened his back, pacing back and forth, saying, "You helped us get rid of this foolish King."
All along, the Atlanteans Elders had considered Namo a brainless fool with no ambition, but due to issues of royal authority, they couldn't replace the emperor.
But they never expected Namo to be so foolish as to challenge the god of human realm, get beaten half to death, and even be kidnapped.
This was a heaven-sent opportunity. These Elders didn't even hesitate much before immediately unifying their stance. They no longer wanted this King. On the contrary, they could take this opportunity to support a compliant King to ascend the throne, making it easier for these pampered Elders to remotely control the new King from behind the scenes.
"Instead, we demand compensation from you surface dwellers for killing our former King," the Atlanteans Eldersaid arrogantly. "Otherwise, we will activate the Submarine Detonator and flood America!"
Jeno's face turned cold. He hadn't expected these Atlanteans Elders to blackmail him in return?
"We give you six hours to consider!" The group of Atlanteans Elders laughed heartily. One of them stepped forward and gently touched the Water curtain. The next second, the Water curtain shattered and turned into a puddle of seawater on the ground.
The scene cut off, and the conference room remained silent.
Steve stared at Namo, who was in a daze, mouth wide open but unsure what to say, with a strange look on his face: "So, this guy was abandoned?"
It must be said that if one phrase were to describe Namo, "detested by all" would be a very apt description.
Natasha's face was a bit grim. She glanced at Jeno and said, "Those Atlanteans Elders want to wage war on the surface. What should we do?"
Viktor, also enjoying the drama, added, "Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect even his own people to dislike this poor King. This guy seems to have lost his value."
Namo, lying on the ground, frantically waved his hands in terror, saying, "No, don't kill me! I have value! I am the King of Atlantis!"
He was truly afraid that Jeno, the ruthless man, would kill him. He hadn't lived enough yet and didn't want to die.
Ignoring the panicking Namo, Jeno lifted his shoe from Namo's face. He stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the distant sea, and said calmly, "Submarine Detonator, what is that?"
Namo endured the severe pain and replied, "It's an instrument that can control the flow of regional seawater. It's the ultimate weapon our Atlanteans obtained by studying the Trident."
"Interesting." Jeno turned around and walked back to Namo.
The poor Namo could only see Jeno's shoes in front of him. The next second, Jeno slowly squatted down, looked at Namo with a smile, and said, "I think our Lord of the Seven Seas is of great use now."
Initially, he indeed planned to extort the Atlanteans, but he didn't expect that these Atlanteans had such a poor relationship with their King, even abandoning him and still not forgetting to threaten him.
This made Jeno very angry, and he decided to change his strategy. No one could make him return empty-handed.
Peggy was the first to pick up on Jeno's implied meaning. She pinched her chin, staring at the bruised and swollen Namo: "You mean?"
Jeno nodded, looking into Namo's eyes, and said, "As the righteous S.W.O.R.D., how can we sit by and watch the King of Atlantis be driven out of the sea by his people? We must help him reclaim his throne."
At these words, not only was Namo, lying on the ground, bewildered, but even Viktor and the others were surprised.
Everyone exchanged glances, seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Help Namo reclaim his throne? When did the boss become so kind?
But before anyone could ask why, Jeno continued:
"And in return, our Aquaman will contribute half of Atlantis's wealth to S.W.O.R.D. annually."
Everyone fell silent. Good heavens, they thought the boss had changed his character, but he was still the same person.
Namo quickly shook his head upon hearing this: "No!"
He took a deep breath, feeling the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He absolutely could not agree. He could never accept such humiliating terms. He was an Atlantean!
"Heh heh, I'm not negotiating with you, Namo." Jenostood up and kicked Namo over, aiming directly at Namo's wound, making the man let out a miserable scream.
"A prisoner should know his place. Besides, are you truly willing to let the Mackenzie family's position be usurped by those Elder Council members?"
Jeno walked towards Namo, whispering like a devil: "Your kingdom, everything you own, will be handed over to the Elder who called you a bastard."
"Your people will not remember you. They will only remember you as a tyrant, with your reputation smeared by those Elders."
Although Namo's reputation was already not up to par, this did not prevent Jeno from using these words to sway Namo's thoughts.
No one can endure the decline after glory, and what he had to do was to light a Fire in Namo's heart!
Chapter 113: Change of Plans
It has to be said, Jeno's words were like sharp thorns, piercing Namo's lungs and making the man's face look terribly grim.
He subconsciously imagined the scene Jeno described.
Then, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Namo even blamed the group of old, immortal Elders for his provocation of Jeno and the subsequent beating, believing they had set him up.
If they hadn't come to his bedchamber to babble and complain, he wouldn't have sought out Jeno and almost been beaten to death.
Jeno spoke again, his tone leisurely:
"Think carefully, Namo. You consider yourself an Atlantean, but they have never considered you an Atlantean."
These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely shattering Namo's psychological defenses.
If he were truly a king beloved by his people, then perhaps he wouldn't betray his country for the help of surface dwellers.
But the problem was that the Atlanteans discriminated against him, discriminating against him, a mixed-race individual with brown-black skin.
So, why should he sacrifice his life for these bastards, allowing those damned Elders to reap the benefits?
Thus, Namo hung his head, his wet golden hair covering the sides of his cheeks. After a moment of silence, Namoclenched his other, still healthy, fist. The man's voice was hoarse, and he dared not look Jeno in the eye as he said, "How do you plan to help me?"
Although his little brother was already shattered, as long as he remained King, the Atlantean scientists would surely find a way to restore his injuries.
Afterward, he would hide behind the scenes and seek revenge on the damned Jeno Wilson!
Seeing Namo finally come to his senses, Jeno smiled with satisfaction, feeling that his many words to this idiot hadn't been in vain.
"It's very simple." Jeno clasped Namo's shoulders with both hands and kindly pulled Namo up, as if he wasn't the one who had just brutally beaten Namo.
Jeno stared at Namo with a half-smile, having already heard Namo's revenge plan in his malicious thoughts, but Jeno, as if nothing had happened, smiled and stated his plan: "I will use the power of America to arrange a decapitation strike against the Atlantean Elders for you."
This plan had a high probability of success, after all, Namo was the King of the Atlanteans; he knew the location of Atlantis and the Elders' habits.
As long as the opportunity and patterns were well-grasped, it would surely succeed.
"However, my team members cannot breathe underwater." Jeno patted Namo's shoulder and said, "I believe you Atlanteans must have equipment that can sustain surface dwellers underwater, right?"
Hearing Jeno's words, the man's bruised eyelids opened with difficulty, revealing a pair of small, glinting eyes. He said coldly, "Of course we do. I know of an Atlantean military Base nearby, where there are many powerful weapons and equipment."
Namo had now figured it out: he wanted revenge, revenge on those damned Elders.
And one's own people dealing with their own people was the cruelest, a point that applied equally to Namo.
So, for the next 30 minutes, Namo meticulously described the location of Atlantis and how the Elders gathered daily in the council hall for meetings.
Jeno motioned for Natasha to record the intelligence Namo provided in detail, while summarizing, "Simply put, we only need a submarine and a few pieces of equipment that can sustain underwater breathing to carry out the decapitation strike."
Everyone nodded upon hearing this. If the underwater breathing problem could be solved, then the Atlanteanswere nothing to fear.
"Alright, Viktor, Logan, take King Namo to rest." Jenoglanced at Sabretooth and Viktor, giving them a meaningful look.
The two brothers grinned, and one on each side, they escorted Namo out of the conference room.
After Sabretooth and Viktor left with Namo, Steve was the first to ask, "Jeno, that guy Namo might resent you. Letting him regain power might lead to retaliation against the surface world."
Steve's words were not without reason. Namo at this moment was like Schrödinger's cat; no one knew whether he would retaliate upon becoming King again.
"Don't worry, Steve, I've naturally thought of what you've thought of."
Jeno chuckled. He had originally planned to support Namo's return to the throne, but since this guy was secretly plotting revenge, he could only abandon that plan.
"You mean?" Steve's expression hardened, somewhat understanding but not quite.
In Steve's eyes, Jeno had always been a man of deep thoughts. Hearing that Jeno had a plan in mind, Stevecouldn't help but feel relieved.
"Just wait, the show will begin soon." Jeno didn't explain too much to Steve.
He had already obtained detailed information about the Atlanteans from Namo. Turning to Peggy and Natasha, he instructed, "You two contact the Navy and have them prepare a submarine."
Preparing a submarine was, of course, for a surprise attack on the nearest Atlantean camp.
The two women nodded, stood up, and left the conference room.
After the two women left, Jeno refocused his gaze on the map on the table and, without turning his head, said to Steve, "Go find someone to get a camera."
Steve was puzzled: "What do you need a camera for?"
Just then, Natasha returned, pushing the door open, and said to Jeno, "Boss, we've already contacted the New YorkNile Navy Base closest to us."
"Excellent, let's go." Jeno merely gestured for Steve to comply, then he led Natasha out of the conference room.
After meeting Peggy in the main hall on the first floor, Jeno used the Cloak of Levitation, and the three quickly arrived at the Nile Navy Base closest to New York.
This Navy Base was located near New York Harbor, covering a vast area, with many short-haired Navy soldiers scattered in small groups across various corners of the Base.
"Whoosh!"
A blur suddenly crashed into the Navy Commander's office.
The blur pierced through the ceiling, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
The Commander of this Base only felt dust swirling before his eyes. He quickly put down the hand-cranked phone he was holding and, before he could understand what had happened, saw a towering figure emerge from the dust with two women.
Jeno patted the dust off his Vibranium armor and looked at the Navy Captain with a slight smile.
"Hello, soldier."
"Ho-Homelander!"
The Navy Captain named Rambo stared in shock at the suddenly appearing Jeno. He then turned to look at the phone on his desk.
He had just hung up with Jeno's liaison officer, and the next second, the other party appeared here; the speed was too fast.
Captain Rambo looked at Jeno with reverence. He understood why so many in the military admired Jeno.
This god-like power was enough to make people involuntarily worship him.
Just the sense of security the other party radiated by standing there made one feel incredibly at ease.
"Captain, let's skip the compliments." Jeno smiled as he walked towards the middle-aged man, patted his shoulder, and said, "Where is my submarine?"
The Captain took a deep breath to calm himself and quickly nodded, saying, "Please follow me."
The Captain led Jeno and the two women out of the conference room. At this moment, many curious soldiers also saw Jeno and his party.
"It's Homelander!"
These soldiers' faces showed fanaticism, and many even wanted to go up and ask for an autograph, but unfortunately, the stern Captain stood with Homelander, so they dared not act rashly.
The Captain led Jeno to a dock, and not far from the dock, a huge, pitch-black submarine was moored.
Chapter 114: Each with Their Own Schemes
At the port near the New York Naval Base,
A massive, streamlined, jet-black submarine slowly floated on the boundless sea. The U.S. flag hung on the submarine's conning tower, and waves occasionally crashed against its metal hull, making a 'whoosh' sound.
"It's really a big one," Jeno said, staring at the submarine with interest. He handed the grid paper with the coordinates to the colonel and asked, "I need your soldiers to take it to this location. Any problems?"
The colonel immediately stood at attention and saluted, indicating that the mission would definitely be completed.
He quickly gathered the nearby divers who were resting. When this group saw Jeno, his celebrity aura made them both excited and fearful.
But everyone still boarded the submarine under the colonel's command.
Soon, the internal engine of this giant roared, and the hull began to move.
Jeno, with the two women, jumped into the submarine from the entrance on top. At his signal, the submarine quickly started and submerged into the deep sea.
Jeno stood in the submarine's rest area, looking at the metal wall in front of him. Through it, he could clearly see the ocean scenery outside.
There were colorful coral reefs, strangely shaped underwater basins, and occasionally, schools of fish swimming by, curiously observing the huge black 'iron fish' with their fish eyes.
Jeno observed the outside scene with his x-ray vision while contemplating his next plan.
Earlier, when he proposed helping Namo regain his throne, he had already heard the malice in Namo's heart: the other party intended to seek revenge on him after returning.
And this only strengthened Jeno's resolve to eliminate Namo.
Namo was a typical unreliable teammate; he would betray anyone he teamed up with.
Therefore, after extracting all the information from Namo's mind, killing Namo was already a set plan.
The consequence of offending Jeno was simple: death. He didn't need a lunatic as a tool; the unpredictability was too high.
The next plan was also simple: capture an Atlantean, use some means to ensure this fellow's absolute loyalty to him, then support him to the throne, and then use the leverage against him for 'long-term cooperation.'
"Jeno, we've arrived. Colonel Rambo is asking if we should surface," Peggy said, coming up to Jeno and gently patting his shoulder.
Jeno quietly said, "Let the submarine surface."
The huge submarine broke through the waves and slowly emerged from the sea.
Jeno flew out of the cabin, his gaze calmly fixed on the seabed below.
In his vision, a few shell-shaped golden houses were located in an underwater basin several hundred meters below, and several Atlanteans were constantly patrolling nearby.
Natasha and Peggy looked up at Jeno, who was floating in mid-air, and worriedly said, "Jeno, be careful!"
Although they already knew that the man in front of them had created countless miracles, as his companions, they couldn't help but worry, especially since so many people now relied on Jeno.
"Careful?" Jeno chuckled, looking at Peggy, and repeated a familiar phrase for the second time: "No need to be careful, because I will only succeed!"
After saying this, Jeno took a deep breath and plunged into the sea. Although he couldn't breathe underwater,
the modifications brought by his Steel Body allowed Jenoto stay underwater for several hours on a single breath.
So Jeno was not at all worried about drowning when diving into the sea.
He took a deep breath, the icy cold seawater splashing against his skin, and then plunged into the sea like a fish-bird. The god-like magnificent Steel Body cut through the ocean currents. Jeno kicked his legs, closing the hundred-meter distance to the underwater Base.
As the distance grew shorter, Jeno also saw many blue-skinned Atlanteans. The sound of ocean currents overhead filled his ears, and the blue-skinned Atlanteansall raised their heads. They saw a land dweller in a red cloak swimming towards them with an expressionless face at an extremely fast speed.
The moment these people saw Jeno, they raised the purple spears in their hands.
After a brief charge, these spears shot out purple beams from their tips.
The scorching beams cut through the water and struck the Vibranium armor. Jeno's gaze focused on the few individuals, then he raised his fist and slammed it hard in the direction of the Atlanteans.
The immense force compressed the waves. Jeno's fist brought a surge of seawater that compressed into a wave and crashed towards the Atlanteans, the surging water slamming several Atlanteans onto the seabed like flies.
They plunged headfirst into the seabed like beach volleyballs, the immense force stirring up seabed dust, and the dust mixed with the Atlanteans' pale blue blood, looking very strange.
Jeno casually picked up a spear floating in the water, not wasting time on the dead. He continued swimming towards the shell-shaped underwater Base.
However, as Jeno approached, the Atlanteans resting inside the Base also noticed the anomaly. Three Atlanteans in golden armor, holding blue spears, rushed towards Jeno, shouting some strange words.
"You should all shut up."
Jeno casually threw the Vibranium spear in his hand.
Instantly, the purple spear turned into an afterimage, piercing the abdomens of two individuals, pinning the two soldiers to the seabed like candied hawthorns. Pale blue blood flowed from their abdomens, looking incredibly bizarre.
Jeno then turned his gaze to another blue-skinned individual. After witnessing the tragic deaths of his two companions, even his hands, which held the spear, trembled uncontrollably. Why was this damned land dweller so strong?
But before he could react, Jeno stepped on the seabed and then lightly jumped, instantly turning into an afterimage and appearing in front of the blue-skinned individual, grabbing him by the throat.
Jeno's eyes coldly stared at the other party, watching the extreme fear and trembling body in the Atlantean's eyes. Jeno nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: Cowardly and afraid of death, a good candidate.
So, Jeno raised his fist and delivered a restrained punch to the Atlantean's abdomen. The huge impact caused the blue-skinned individual to roll his eyes and faint.
Jeno, carrying the blue-skinned individual, submerged into the shell-shaped house, smashing through the roof, made of an unknown material, with a single punch to enter the house. He quickly found some advanced underwater technology inside, including underwater respirators similar to gas masks.
Hugging a box of respirators, Jeno swam towards the submarine on the surface of the sea, still carrying the unconscious Atlantean.
"Boom!"
The Steel Body burst through the surface of the sea with a deafening sound, creating a large splash.
Jeno slowly descended, his feet landing on the cold hull of the submarine.
The two waiting women immediately stepped forward to help Jeno carry the box. Jeno threw the Atlantean in his hand into the submarine, immediately attracting the attention of many soldiers.
"This is an Atlantean!"
The crowd looked at the unconscious Atlantean. The individual had typical fish-like features on both sides of his face, with a pair of fleshy gills that opened and closed, seemingly breathing air.
"Atlanteans actually exist."
"My God, does that mean mermaids really exist?"
Jeno jumped into the submarine, smiling as he pushed aside the gawking soldiers, saying, "Alright, lads, we've got what we came for. Go tell Colonel Rambo to start the submarine and head back!"
Chapter 115: The Curtain Rises on a Good Show
New York, sixth floor of the Daily Bugle building.
Inside a storage room, a bruised and swollen Namo lay motionless on the ground. If not for his eyes occasionally moving beneath his blackened eyelids, an unknowing person might think he was dead.
Viktor and Logan were guarding the door, both drinking beer from bottles. Not far away, crisp footsteps approached.
The two brothers were familiar with this sound, as their Vibranium battle suits also made such a noise when walking on concrete.
They quickly tossed their beer bottles into a trash can, stood at attention with their legs together, and waited for the owner of the sound to arrive.
Soon, a familiar figure appeared around the corner: a tall, perfectly built body, handsome face, and the familiar red cape. It was Jeno Wilson, their boss.
Behind Jeno, Peggy followed with a camera, and Natashacarried a wooden box. Steve, meanwhile, carried a blue-skinned humanoid creature in a golden battle suit on his shoulder.
Steve held the person's backside with both hands to prevent him from falling.
Jeno approached the two. The air was filled with the smell of beer, but he didn't mind. He simply nodded towards the storage room door, signaling them to bring Namo out.
The two brothers quickly dragged the incapacitated Namo out of the storage room.
Lying on the cold floor, bacteria and dust from the floor seeped into Namo's wounds, causing a burning pain.
But these were nothing. The Atlantean King, filled with hope, his voice trembling, asked, "Did you get those armaments?"
Namo's excitement was understandable; he could almost see the hope of revenge within reach.
Once he regained his throne, he would launch a massive war against the surface dwellers, even if it meant sacrificing lives to bury the damned Jeno and wash away the humiliation he had endured.
Meeting Namo's hopeful gaze, Jeno's expression was a half-smile. He squatted down, looking into Namo's eyes, and said playfully, "Of course, I found those things, and I even brought you a surprise."
With that, Jeno snapped his fingers. Steve put down the Atlantean from his shoulder, then gently pinched the Atlantean's philtrum. After a few short seconds, the Atlantean suddenly stood up, tears streaming down his face. He gasped for air, and his blue skin turned green from lack of water.
The person fearfully scanned his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over Natasha and the others. When he saw Jeno squatting nearby with his familiar red cape, the Atlantean instantly trembled with fear, retreating uncontrollably on all fours.
"Stay here." Natasha kicked the Atlantean down, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of an unexpected figure.
Although the person lying on the ground was disheveled, the familiar green shorts, muscular physique, and greasy golden long hair all revealed his identity: Namo McKenzie, the Atlantean King.
"Your Majesty!" The Atlantean shrieked, quickly kneeling and repeatedly kowtowing, his forehead hitting the floor with a thudding sound.
As the Atlantean kowtowed, he asked in confusion, "Oh, great King, why are you here as well?"
As he spoke, a thought suddenly flashed in the Atlantean's mind.
He fearfully glanced at Jeno. Could it be that his King was also captured by this brutal surface dweller and made a prisoner?
Namo's face was a little grim. He hadn't expected the damned Jeno to bring back an Atlantean soldier.
As a dignified King, didn't he have any pride?
But Jeno didn't give Namo time to react. He slowly stood up and turned his gaze to the blue-skinned Atlantean.
"Do you want to be King?"
Jeno's words resonated like thunder in the hearts of the two Atlanteans.
Namo's expression was stunned; he couldn't believe what he heard. He quickly demanded loudly, "Jeno Wilson! What are you doing?"
"This isn't what we agreed upon at all!"
Namo was furious, but more than that, he was panicking. Was Jeno going to support another blue-skinned person to take the throne?
Namo struggled to stand up, but Logan and Viktor, two strong men, rushed forward and used their hands and feet to hold him down, keeping him from standing, forcing him to lie on the ground in a posture of extreme submission.
"Heh heh."
Jeno smiled as he looked at Namo and said, "Namo, you know your true intentions."
The young man slowly squatted down and gently patted Namo's cheek, saying, "If I let you go back, you would, of course, retaliate against me."
"And my life's motto is never to let my enemies live."
"So, the best way is for you to die at the hands of your own kind."
As he spoke, Jeno even shook his head as if moved. He truly was kind; letting his own kind kill Namo could be considered fulfilling the Atlantean King's last bit of pride.
"You bastard!" Namo roared ferociously, but the next second, Jeno's eyes glowed red, and a searing Heat Vision poured into Namo's mouth, instantly melting the man's tongue, emitting a charred, foul odor.
"Ah!"
"Shut your mouth, Namo."
Jeno extinguished his Heat Vision and turned to look at the kneeling Atlantean with a smile.
The Atlantean was now like a chick caught in the wind, trembling uncontrollably at Jeno's brutal actions.
"Clang!"
Jeno took a glinting Vibranium dagger from his Vibraniumbelt and threw it to the Atlantean.
Jeno's smile faded, and he stared coldly at the Atlantean, saying, "Pick up this dagger and kill your King."
"No, no, he is the King, I dare not!" The Atlantean shook his head frantically, as if the dagger on the floor was a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
The authority of old was like a great mountain, pressing down on his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
Let alone picking up a knife and stabbing the representative of that authority, the King of Atlantis.
However, the evil surface dweller said coldly, "Either he dies, or you die."
"My friend, right now, an opportunity to rise to power is before you, yet you shrink back."
"As long as you kill him, I promise I will help you become the King of Atlantis."
Jeno's words constantly swayed the Atlantean's mind.
Jeno continued, "Think about it, this half-breed has ruled your Atlantis for so many years, enjoying beauties, wealth, and delicacies that you could never enjoy."
"And if you just kill him, you can have everything he has!"
The Atlantean couldn't help but imagine it all in his mind: going from an ordinary person to a King, enjoying the most extreme material pleasures.
As if by a ghost's prompting, he reached out and grasped the Vibranium dagger on the ground.
Jeno gave Peggy a look, and the camera started recording everything.
Watching the Atlantean's expression grow increasingly strange and eerie.
Namo, his mouth burned, frantically shook his head in protest. He tried to intimidate the Atlantean soldier before him with fierce eyes, but under his gaze, the soldier slowly picked up the dagger from the ground.
"Hoo hoo!"
The Atlantean breathed frantically, trying to calm his excited mind. His trembling arms proved the struggle and excitement within him.
Chapter 116 High-Level Meeting
Daily Bugle, the midday Sun streamed through the glass into the conference room.
The sunlight rippled, making the Atlanteans' blue heads flicker on and off.
He clutched the Vibranium dagger in his hand, his eyes wide as he stared at Aquaman Namo, who lay on the ground.
The blue-skinned man's voice trembled as he suppressed his fear and excitement, saying, "I'm sorry, forgive me, King. I want to live. I want to marry Maria."
"I want everything you have!"
He roared, lunging at the King, his right hand plunging the sharp blade into Namo's neck.
"Pfft!"
The blade cut through the skin and severed Namo's windpipe, causing the King to collapse onto the ground. Blood flowed from his veins, soaking the floor. At this moment, Namo was like a fish out of Water, his body convulsing violently, his eyes filled with resentment as he stared at Jeno in the distance. He wanted to say something, but his severed throat made a "ho-ho" sound like a leaking windpipe.
As more and more blood flowed, Namo's eyes remained wide open as he died in the conference room.
"Hoo-hoo."
The blue-skinned man who had personally killed the King dropped the dagger from his hand, gasping for breath.
"Very good, Peggy, did you get it all?" Jeno's devilish words rang in the blue-skinned man's ears, and his face instantly stiffened. When he saw the camera pointed at him, he immediately guessed that this might be some kind of recording device, documenting his regicidal atrocity.
As he thought about it, his face grew even paler.
However, a large hand gently rested on his shoulder, and the evil young man's voice sounded in his ear: "Don't worry, my friend, you are a friend of us land dwellers. As long as you obey, I promise we will cooperate happily."
The Atlantean wanted to say something, but with his weakness in Jeno's hands, he could only nod timidly in agreement.
Just as Jeno was about to arrange the next step of the plan,
"Boss, a telegram from the White House."
Natasha had gone out and returned at some point, her face looking rather grim. She said, "Atlantis seems to have sent a threatening letter to the higher-ups. Now the entire U.S. high command is in chaos."
Jeno was not surprised by this sudden news.
He smiled and ruffled his female companion's cheek, then pulled Peggy over and ruffled her hair, saying playfully, "How many people do you think will use this incident to challenge me?"
The U.S. high-ranking officials were like annoying flies; if there was even the slightest flaw, these guys would swarm in. Not to mention Jeno's current prestige and power were at their peak, already making many people envious.
Peggy sneered, "Others might not know, but Old Jackdefinitely will."
"But, you mustn't kill him in public," Peggy quickly advised. "That would have a terrible impact."
"Of course, I understand." Jeno smiled, released the two women, and walked towards the glass window.
Jeno turned his head and said, "However, if he seeks death, I will prepare a surprise for him."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jeno's figure flickered, instantly disappearing from the window without a trace. Everyone only heard a sonic boom, and a faint White line streaked across the clouds outside the window.
On the other side, at the White House.
Inside the conference room, the Oval Office was filled with various bigwigs.
The Navy and Army factions still maintained a clear division, sitting in two separate groups, while Old Du, in the very center, wore a troubled expression.
A group of people were staring at the large screen at the top, which was playing a threatening declaration from an Atlantean Elder.
"Your General Jeno Wilson killed our King, and the land dwellers must compensate us, Atlantis!"
Immediately after, the recording ended in a burst of static.
The moment the footage ended, an argument immediately erupted in the conference room.
"Damn it, this is a declaration of war against our Free America!" The main war faction within the Military was the first to protest.
"Throw dirty bombs at them and let them know the might of our America!"
"We should establish communication; there might be some misunderstanding!"
These were the voices of the peace faction. After all, people have many facets, and the U.S. high command also had those who favored war, peace, and even neutrality.
"Gentlemen, you may have forgotten one of the most important questions!" Old Jack slowly stood up, his face cold, saying, "The Atlantean in the video stated that General Jeno killed their King, which led to the Atlanteans holding a grudge against us."
"In other words, this conflict was entirely caused by Jeno, and we should hold him accountable!"
"Even," Old Jack sneered, revealing his true nature, showing his true colors, "his position should be revoked to prevent such a tragedy from happening again!"
Old Jack's hatred for Jeno had not diminished with time; instead, it had intensified. He constantly hoped for Jeno's misfortune. And today, he finally got his chance.
He wanted to make that damned Jeno pay the price! And at the same time, avenge his deceased close friends, whether it was Arthur or George, both were killed by Jeno.
As Old Jack's words fell, the previously noisy room immediately fell into a prolonged silence.
"Well, this kind of thing, General Jeno was also doing it for everyone's good," an Admiral said.
"Yes, yes, the Atlanteans are ambitious and will attack Free America sooner or later. General Jeno was doing it for everyone's good."
To Old Jack's surprise, many of the Generals present were frantically defending Jeno.
There's a saying, when you have power, you have friends everywhere.
Everyone wasn't foolish; help Old Jack deal with the god of human realm? Unless they were crazy!
Just as Old Jack opened his mouth, about to say something more, a guard's exclamation echoed from outside the White House window.
"My God!"
"What is that?"
Everyone hadn't yet reacted to what had caused the White House guards to exclaim when a muffled sound came from above. The next second, concrete chunks cracked and fell onto the round table. A group of well-dressed, respectable people screamed like frightened monkeys, jumping up to avoid the debris.
A figure slowly descended amidst the dust.
Everyone's eyes widened, and a faint guess about the newcomer formed in their hearts.
As the dust settled, Jeno, clad in Vibranium armor, slowly appeared before everyone's eyes.
At this moment, the faces of the many bigwigs in the room were so grim they seemed to drip Water. They were displeased with Jeno's act of crashing through the ceiling and interrupting the meeting by descending from the sky.
But people are that realistic; facing absolute supreme Military power, everyone still chose silence.
Jeno lightly flicked his cloak and sat in the seat Old Jackhad occupied earlier, then stared at everyone with a playful look, saying, "Generals, why are you all standing? Sit down quickly."
His words were so matter-of-fact, as if he were the Master of this room.
Many Generals subtly used their peripheral vision to signal President Old Du to speak.
But Old Du's expression was normal, a smile on his face as he was the first to sit down, even showing concern for Jeno: "General Jeno, you have worked hard for Free America."
This sycophantic behavior disappointed many Generals, but they could only slowly sit down under Jeno's gaze, leaving only Old Jack standing expressionlessly in place
Chapter 117: What, Are You Not Convinced?
"Admiral Jack, why are you standing?" Jeno tilted his head, staring at Old Jack, his tone playful: "Is it because you're old? Can't sit for long?"
"If that's the case, you might as well write a resignation report to The Pentagon and go home to retire. I'll have the S.W.O.R.D. lads drive you home then."
Listening to Jeno's humiliating words, Old Jack's face flushed with anger, his eyes fixed on Jeno, the words on his tongue swallowed and re-swallowed.
It was the President who played the peacemaker, asking, "General Jeno, the Atlanteans are declaring war on us. What are your thoughts on this?"
Jeno was now a pivotal figure in Free America.
Not to mention, the President had just recently seen the Vibranium cannon developed by Jeno's S.W.O.R.D.Seriously, the President's eyes were filled with anticipation, wishing he could immediately have Jenobring out the Vibranium cannon to teach the Atlanteans a profound lesson.
The admirals of the Navy and Army might be very worried, but in the President's view, the Atlanteans were no threat at all, which was also why he strongly supported Jeno.
After all, how could you lose with a dragon on your face?
"My thoughts?" Jeno's gaze swept over everyone, he leaned forward, tapped the table, and said with a serious expression: "This is a declaration of war by the Atlanteans against us!"
"And Free America never compromises!"
Jeno brought out the slogan of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Nigger, immediately drawing cheers from the hawkish faction.
"General Jeno is right. What about Atlantis? We in America have nukes!"
Listening to the clamor of these admirals, Jeno couldn't help but cover his head, annoyed. This was why he didn't want to play with the Military; no matter what problem they encountered, these guys' reaction was absolutely "use nukes," "use nukes"!
If it didn't work, then it must be that not enough "nukes" were used.
And Old Jack, hearing Jeno's words, couldn't help but sneer and mock, saying, "Since it's a declaration of war, and this conflict was started by General Jeno, it should also be handled by General Jeno."
Old Jack stared ominously at Jeno. No matter how strong this guy was, he couldn't fight against a whole country, especially a terrifying nation like the Atlanteans.
But, to Old Jack's surprise, Jeno just smiled calmly and said, "I'm here today to tell everyone that in the face of the Atlanteans' provocation, our S.W.O.R.D. will never compromise."
"I will teach the Atlanteans a profound lesson, so please rest assured." Jeno's gaze swept over the many generals, saying, "I just hope certain people don't drag S.W.O.R.D.down."
As soon as these words were uttered, it was like a depth charge had been dropped into a calm lake. Everyone's expressions were strange, but many still cast their glances towards Old Jack, who was standing in the corner.
Jeno's words were pointed, like a slap across Old Jack's face.
At this, Old Jack could no longer endure the anger within him. The four-star admiral clenched his fists and scoffed, "Oh yes, General Jeno thinks he can deal with a whole country. Just make sure you don't drag us down with you to face disaster."
"Heh." Jeno chuckled softly, then slowly stood up under everyone's gaze.
The atmosphere instantly froze, as if someone had thrown hundreds of tons of ice into it. Many of Old Jack's colleagues looked worried, fearing that Jeno, if displeased, might melt Old Jack with his Heat Vision.
But Jeno didn't do that. Instead, he slowly walked to Old Jack's side, gently reached out and patted Old Jack's shoulder, saying, "What, are you not convinced?"
The next second, Old Jack's expression changed dramatically. An incredibly terrifying force suddenly pressed down. The hand resting on his shoulder felt like an iron block, pressing him down and making him unable to move an inch.
"I said, are you not convinced, Admiral Jack?" Jenoemphasized his words, a sunny smile on his face.
Old Jack clenched his fists tightly, but no matter how angry he was, he couldn't change the fact that he was being threatened. He finally bowed his head in humiliation, his voice like a faint mosquito, saying, "I agree with your decision."
"Very good." Jeno smiled and released Old Jack. The terrifying pressure instantly vanished. The man's back was soaked with sweat, and he gasped for air.
Jeno, with his hands behind his back, scanned everyone, then chuckled and said:
"Next, my S.W.O.R.D. will handle the Atlantis threat. You can all go home and wait for good news."
After saying this, Jeno gently looked up. The next second, like a cannonball, he instantly vanished from everyone's sight, leaving through a hole in the ceiling above, leaving behind a group of high-ranking generals with grim expressions.
Jeno flew out of the oval White House, then headed straight for S.W.O.R.D.
"Whoosh!"
Jeno lightly landed at the entrance of S.W.O.R.D. He was quite fond of his own enterprise.
Jeno walked into the building, and the Agents working on the first floor all smiled and greeted Jeno.
Jeno smiled and nodded in response, his peripheral vision sweeping over the display case on the first floor. The poor Japanese demons were still confined inside the display case, with Agents, tired from work, occasionally running to the display case to tap on the glass and provoke the demons.
"En, soon Namo's head can also be placed next to Kang's for company."
Jeno retracted his gaze and pressed the elevator button for the 6th floor.
As the elevator reached the sixth floor.
Jeno stepped out of the elevator.
The sixth floor of S.W.O.R.D. was allocated for the members of his super team to live. Peggy and Natashaboth had their own rooms here, but they generally didn't reside on the sixth floor, preferring to stay with Jeno on the seventh floor.
Jeno walked through the corridor and arrived at the door of room number "606."
He gently knocked on the door and said, "Raven, are you in there?"
A light patter of footsteps came from inside the room. Soon, the door opened, and a blonde girl in a white T-shirt stood timidly at the door, looking at Jeno.
"Ho-Homelander."
The girl was a bit shy.
Jeno looked at Mystique, who was currently disguised as a popular young actress, her eyes darting away, not daring to look directly at him.
Jeno smiled helplessly, his tone softening, "Just call me Jeno."
Raven obediently corrected herself: "Okay, okay, Officer Jeno."
"Mm." Jeno smiled and nodded, then bent down and ruffled Raven's small head, saying, "Are you interested in going on a mission with me?"
"G-go on a mission?" Raven's small face was full of excitement. The usually timid girl was uncharacteristically thrilled, looking at Jeno, standing on her tiptoes: "C-can I?"
To be honest, she had been a bit down lately, and the reason was simple: although Sister Natasha and Sister Peggy were usually very kind to her, they never let her participate in urgent missions.
Although she knew it was to protect her, Raven still wanted to prove her worth. Her unfortunate childhood experiences told her that without worth, she wouldn't be valued, and if not valued, she would only be abandoned.
And now, Jeno was actually willing to give her this chance, so the little girl was naturally very excited.
"Of course, you are crucial to this operation, Raven." Jenosmiled and patted the girl's head, saying, "Let's go, we're going to New York for a mission."
"Mm-hmm." The girl nodded quickly, grabbing Jeno's large hand and following the young man out of the room.
Chapter 118: Didn't Expect This, Did You?
New York.
When Jeno arrived at the Daily Bugle conference room with Raven, the girl's face was pale, and as soon as she landed, she rushed to the trash can.
Jeno was a bit helpless; why were they all getting 'airsick'? He was sure he had flown quite slowly.
Fortunately, as a Mutant, Raven had good recovery abilities.
The girl quickly composed herself and sat down in a conference room chair.
At the circular conference table, Jeno sat at the head, surrounded by talented individuals on both sides.
"Now that everyone is here, I will announce the next plan."
Jeno tapped the table with his finger, and everyone's expressions sharpened as they sat up straight, ready to listen intently.
"First, we already know the location of Atlantis's capital, Siren."
Jeno handed a stack of documents to Peggy, signaling for her to pass them around, and everyone took the files to read while listening to Jeno's arrangements.
Jeno pulled a box from beside him and placed it on the table, slowly saying to everyone, "Our plan is simple: here are devices that will allow us to breathe underwater. Using these devices, we will launch a surprise attack on the capital of Atlantis."
"However, the Elder Council is heavily guarded, so I've divided you into two groups, A and B."
"Group A, led by Peggy, will take Natasha directly to the Atlanteans' military camp and throw energy grenades in to create chaos."
"Group B, led by Steve, will take Viktor and Logan to create chaos in the city to draw fire."
This plan was devised by Jeno after careful consideration, and it best suited each person's abilities.
For example, Natasha's invisibility allowed her to easily throw large C4s, made from the Tesseract, into the Atlanteans' military camp, killing most of the soldiers and preventing them from reinforcing the capital, which would save Jeno time.
Steve and the other two were true tanks; Wolverine and Sabretooth's powerful regeneration abilities could easily hold the attention of the Atlanteans in the city, buying time for Jeno's surprise attack plan.
It wasn't that Jeno couldn't do these things alone, but having others cooperate would save a lot of time.
After explaining his plan, Jeno's gaze swept over everyone, and he rested his chin on his hands, lazily asking, "Does anyone have any objections?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison. The documents Jeno had distributed detailed the locations of the Atlantean capital's military camps and streets. One could only say that Namo's help should be appreciated; without him, such detailed information would not have been obtained.
However, Namo was already dead, and it might not be long before his head was locked in an exhibition case, keeping Kang company.
"In that case, each of you take two respirators, and we'll prepare to move."
Atlantis Capital.
Siren.
Legend has it that in the early days when the Celestialsdescended and created the Atlanteans, a beautiful creature named Siren was born among the Atlantean race. However, as eras changed, this beautiful creature gradually became extinct, and to commemorate this species, the Atlanteans named their capital Siren.
But these historical tales were merely a sweet dessert after a feast of power.
At the very top of the capital, Siren, a group of Atlantean nobles in golden robes gathered to discuss the birth of a new king.
"Damn Namo, he even took the Trident when he left. How are we to establish the legitimacy of a new king?"
The Atlantean nobles cursed the former king, Namo, as usual, and were about to move on to the next topic.
But then, suddenly.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion echoed in everyone's ears. Through the glass water window, they saw a terrifying wave rise from the distant underwater military camp. Its original location had become a deep underwater crater, with countless seawater pouring into it.
"What happened?!"
The Atlantean nobles' eyes widened.
But before they could fully process the news that the King's Royal Guard had been wiped out, an Atlantean soldier stumbled into the conference room. His blue skin was filled with panic, and he said with a bitter face, "ElderNadia! Our capital is under attack!"
"Several surface dwellers have broken into Sixth Street and are massacring our comrades!"
This string of news hit the Atlantean Elders like heavy blows to their faces. Their blue faces were now filled with bewilderment, as if saying, 'Who am I? Where am I?'
"Damn it, stop staring blankly, follow me!" It was Grand Elder Nadia who reacted quickly. He stomped his foot in anger, interrupting everyone's daze, and then led the Elders, fuming, to the city to resist the invaders.
The guards at the gate saluted and watched the many Elders leave.
A few minutes later, the guards were surprised to see Grand Elder Nadia return, followed by a blue-skinned Atlantean and a surface dweller in silver armor and a red cloak.
"Ah, what!?"
The two Atlanteans' eyes widened. Why were surface dwellers here?
As they pondered, Elder Nadia led the group towards them.
Most importantly, the Grand Elder held the Sacred Trident in his hand, a symbol of kingship. This immediately led to wild speculation; could it be that the Grand Elder had usurped the throne?
The two were about to ask something, but Elder Nadia merely gave them a cold glance, and they immediately knew better than to speak further.
After all, who didn't know that in Atlantis, Elder Nadia was the uncrowned king.
Thus, the two guards kept their eyes down, allowing the group to enter the Sacred Council Hall.
The group swaggered into the hall, and after closing the stone door, "Elder Nadia" quickly opened his mouth and let out a breath, his voice clear: "You scared me to death."
"Heh heh, didn't we successfully infiltrate the capital?"
Jeno walked with his hands behind his back in the empty ocean hall.
"Farrant, turn on the live broadcast equipment in this room."
As the Atlantean deliberative assembly hall, the conference room was naturally equipped with advanced live broadcast equipment, allowing all citizens to watch the broadcast.
Jeno's voice reached the blue-skinned Atlantean's ears. He trembled with excitement and quickly followed Jeno's instructions, walking to the four corners of the hall.
Subsequently, several spherical machines, similar to drones, flew high into the sky, casting an ethereal blue light upon the four individuals.
At the same time, outside the capital, citizens watching television at home saw the screen flicker. Then, Grand Elder Nadia appeared, holding the Trident, his face filled with sorrow as he stared at the screen. Beside him stood a blue-skinned Atlantean in golden armor.
The latter looked timidly at the screen, but the surface dweller behind him slowly stepped forward. After saying something into the blue-skinned person's ear, the latter immediately straightened his chest and spoke in perfect London English: "Greetings, fellow Atlantean citizens."
"I have grave news to share with you all. A short while ago, our King, His Majesty Namo McKenzie, was unfortunately assassinated."
"And the perpetrators are evil Atlanteans disguised as the Grand Elder. They conspired to kill the King and seize complete control of Atlantis."
"Fortunately, our surface friend, Mr. Jeno Wilson, helped us find the real Grand Elder. However, his voice has been poisoned by the evil group and he cannot speak."
Jeno, wearing an oxygen mask and a sorrowful expression, stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed slightly, saying in a low voice, "Fellow Atlantean compatriots, I regret to inform you that your King, Mr. Namo, died as a result of a conspiracy by the Elder Council."
Chapter 119: He is Fake, I am Real!
Jeno, on screen, exuded a calm demeanor and spoke in a low voice. He stood tall, looking directly into the camera, and said, "Fellow Atlanteans, this is a conspiracy! The Elders are trying to overthrow the King's regime and make Atlantis their private property!"
"As for why they murdered King Namo, the reason is simple: King Namo wanted to abolish the undersea tax but was obstructed by the Elder Council. This became the Elders' motive for murder."
"Because! A large portion of the taxes you paid went into the pockets of these Elders!"
Jeno wasn't speaking carelessly; this information was revealed through Namo's previous disclosures.
The principle was simple: the King of Atlantis held supreme authority, but he couldn't slaughter the Elders. The Elders were responsible for construction, tax collection, and other tasks, and there were many hidden dealings within these roles.
Before his death, Namo had secretly sent people to investigate the Elder Council. Those old geezers owned hundreds of undersea properties; it was clear there was something fishy going on.
Jeno continued to fan the flames, saying, "The ElderCouncil uses these methods to live in the best seabed houses in all of Atlantis, enjoying the service of beautiful Atlantean girls!"
"They naturally wouldn't let King Namo go, but as the friend of the wife of the son of the brother of King Namo's father, I, Jeno Wilson, will naturally not allow the great Atlantis to fall into the hands of the evil Elder Council!"
Jeno puffed out his chest, imitating Steve's posture, and immediately, a noble and righteous aura infected every Atlantean watching the screen.
Jeno slowly said, "Before his death, King Namo stated that he would hand over the Trident and the throne to this young Atlantean by his side!"
"He will inherit Namo's last wish, abolish half of the Atlanteans' taxes, eliminate the evil and greedy Eldergroup, and distribute their wealth among the Atlantean populace!"
It must be said, Jeno's words were very effective.
Did Atlanteans care who their King was?
They did.
But when a new King could bring them a better life, who the King was seemed to no longer matter.
A group of Atlantean citizens looked excited. Abolish half the taxes, and also gain the ill-gotten gains of the evil Elder Council?
Could such a good thing actually happen?
Jeno wasn't the only one watching the undersea broadcast. Under the large undersea screen in the city center, Elder Nadia was leading a group of Atlantean Elders, staring dumbfounded at Jeno speaking eloquently on the screen.
"I, I've become fake?" Nadia rubbed her cheek in disbelief, looking at the "Nadia" on the screen. Whether it was expression, appearance, or even skin color, there was no difference between the two, as if they were carved from the same mold.
"He is fake, I am real!" Nadia was furious.
However, when Jeno mentioned the Elders' corruption, these Elders, like cats whose tails had been stepped on, all jumped up, cursing loudly without any aristocratic demeanor: "Slander! This is moral slander! These damned land dwellers want to destroy our Atlantis!"
"Quickly mobilize the army to break into the council hall and kill that imposter and the damned land dweller!"
Nadia took a deep breath and quickly pulled out an undersea communication device to contact the nearest Atlantean legion.
But no matter how he tried to connect, there was only a busy signal and rejection.
Nadia tried contacting several other legion Commanders, but without exception, no one answered.
At this moment, Nadia's blue face pulled down at the corners of his mouth, revealing a sinister expression.
"It seems these fence-sitters have chosen to wait and see."
Nadia looked up at the Trident on the screen, and couldn't help but resent Namo again; the Trident's deterrent effect on Atlanteans was simply too great.
And at this moment, the other Atlantean Elders also asked the question Nadia wanted to ask:
"What should we do?"
Just then, a light chuckle sounded from around the corner of the undersea street: "I think I can give you the answer."
A red cloak swished, and Jeno, with his hands behind his back, followed by a group of Atlanteans holding spear weapons, walked towards them.
The Grand Elder's gaze swept over the Atlantean soldiers following Jeno, and his face darkened. Those soldiers were from the First Legion, the closest to them. It seemed they had chosen to bet on the other side and abandoned the Elder Council.
His gaze moved from the soldiers to Jeno, who was half a head taller than everyone else, and he said bitterly:
"Land dweller!"
Nadia's face turned ugly, and he immediately pulled an energy pistol from his robe and pulled the trigger at Jeno.
"Biu!"
The faint purple energy ray was completely unaffected by the seawater, instantly hitting Jeno's Vibranium battle armor on his chest, leaving a charred black mark.
"Is that all?" Jeno shrugged, smiling and shaking his head, walking slowly towards the Elder Council step by step.
Jeno covered a distance of a hundred meters in just a few seconds, arriving in front of everyone. Then, Nadia felt a pain in his throat. He stared in horror at Jeno, who had suddenly appeared in front of him.
An iron hand gripped his neck tightly. Jeno, with a smile on his face, stared at Nadia and said, "You like to mock me, huh?"
"Hmph, you, you demon!"
At this moment, the Grand Elder's eyes held only regret. He regretted why he had provoked this demon, bringing them utter disaster.
"It's not too late to save your curses for hell." Jeno smiled, the force in his hand increasing rather than decreasing. His five fingers squeezed the Grand Elder's throat tightly. Under the immense force, bones made cracking sounds. The Grand Elder, whose body structure was not much different from a land dweller's, tilted his head, and a good deal of blue liquid flowed from his mouth and nose, floating in the sea.
Jeno flung the Grand Elder's corpse away, then turned and left: "Kill them all, leave no one."
A true man never looks back. Jeno only heard the "biubiu" sound of spear energy behind him, accompanied by the screams of many Atlanteans. This power struggle had finally drawn to a close.
Although it seemed to be over, with the bad guys represented by the Grand Elder killed, and the Atlanteansseemingly returning to their former joy, there were still many things to deal with.
For example, the new King Frank taking the throne, many Atlanteans still not accepting the new King's rule, and the Commander of the First Legion helping Frank consolidate power, which also required corresponding rewards. There were also promises made to the populace that needed to be fulfilled, and other troublesome matters.
However, none of this concerned Jeno. He wasn't the Atlanteans' father to clean up their messes. What he needed to do now was collect his enormous reward.
When Jeno returned to the palace, the new King Frank, holding the Trident, was already seated on the throne at the highest point of the council hall.
When the young King saw Jeno, he immediately showed a fawning smile: "General Jeno, you've arrived!"
"The things you requested are ready."
Frank personally handed Jeno two storage devices similar to USB drives. These small items contained thousands of years of Atlantean technological development.
They provided Jeno with many good treasures, many of which were epoch-making technologies, all packaged and given to Jeno.
For example, manufacturing blueprints for energy firearms, manufacturing blueprints for ocean respirators, and so on.
"King Frank, I'm glad our cooperation was pleasant." Jenolooked at the new King with a half-smile: "Land dwellers and Atlanteans will always be good friends."
Chapter 120: The Atlanteans' Good Friend: Mister Homelander
The war was over.
As the saying goes, history is written by the victors.
Frank, the Atlantean, though newly appointed, was already eager to convene a grand Atlantean assembly.
The so-called grand Atlantean assembly was to gather the people of the royal capital in the Atlantean Square for a meeting.
Unable to refuse the King's warm invitation, Jeno led his team to stay one night in the underwater World.
Atlantean technology could easily make a room expel seawater and fill with oxygen, so Jeno, Peggy, and Natasha slept quite comfortably that night.
When Jeno arrived at the royal palace restaurant, he saw Steve and Logan arguing, while Viktor stood with his arms crossed, watching the show.
"Logan, that's an Atlantean princess! How could you and her..."
It was Steve speaking, and Electrocution Kid looked awkward.
Logan bared his teeth, about to curse, but then he saw Jeno approaching with his female companions, so he simply turned his head, ignoring Steve.
"What happened?" Jeno walked over with his hands behind his back, looking down at Viktor as he asked.
Viktor, never one to miss out on drama, grinned and said, "Boss, Logan was wandering around the Atlantean palace last night and ran into the former Atlantean Grand Princess. They hit it off somehow and ended up in bed."
Listening to Viktor's explanation, Jeno and the others' expressions became strange.
Although this was considered a team member's private life, still...
Jeno imagined the scene of Logan and a blue-skinned, bald woman entwined, and a shiver of disgust ran through him. The old man certainly had a heavy taste.
Peggy, meanwhile, let out a cold snort, expressing her opinion of Logan.
One could only say that Logan was truly a walking teddy bear, not picky.
"Thank goodness, everyone, I finally found you."
Just then, King Frank walked over, greeting them warmly, "The grand Atlantean assembly is about to begin, please follow me."
So, the group followed the King out of the main hall, got into an Atlantean car—a small, spaceship-like vehicle that sped away—and quickly brought everyone to Siren Square in the Atlantean royal capital.
"This is the royal capital square."
Frank looked nervously at the vast crowd of Atlanteans in the square, with a huge podium erected above.
Frank stepped out of the underwater vehicle and, looking nervous, followed an attendant onto the podium.
As the new King, Frank naturally carried the trident symbolizing royal authority. Jeno had originally intended to keep it for research at S.W.O.R.D., but for now, he would lend it to Frank for a while.
Frank's speech was devoid of any impressive words; the empty rhetoric made Jeno drowsy.
"However, this time, to combat the evil Elder Council, we also need the help of one person, that is, the surface dweller, Mister Jeno Wilson!"
"It was he who helped us expose the corrupt face of the evil Elder Council."
"Now, please welcome General Jeno to address us!"
Peggy quickly nudged Jeno's waist, "They called you."
"Oh? I have a speaking part too?" Jeno stroked his chin, not disliking Frank's flattery.
"In that case, I'll go up and say a few words." Jeno swept his cloak, and his body broke through the waves, soaring over the heads of the Atlanteans like an arrow. In an instant, his tall, strong figure, clad in Vibranium armor, stood on the podium, forming a stark contrast with the slender Frank beside him.
A gasp went through the crowd. To the Atlanteans, the person before them was different in both skin and hair from themselves, but his Vibranium armor paired with a red cloak still made many Atlanteans think he looked very cool.
"Everyone." Jeno took the microphone-like object Frankhanded him, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and said with a calm expression, "This is all what I should do."
"On the surface, I also have a title, Homelander."
Jeno slowly spread his arms, then floated in the ocean air, his Cloak of Levitation swaying cooperatively. The cloak flapped, and the colorful Atlantean lights shining on his back made him look like a god!
"My motto is: The righteous Homelander will not stand by and watch the Atlantean people suffer oppression!"
"Whether Atlanteans or surface dwellers, we are all one family!"
"I will not stand by and watch the Atlanteans suffer!"
The crowd was briefly silent, then a thunderous roar of cheers engulfed the square.
Every Atlantean's face was filled with excitement. Look at the magnanimity of this surface dweller, what a spirit of selflessness, treating Atlanteans as family!
In summary, it was one sentence: Jeno, this surface dweller, was reliable!
Mister Homelander, he was a true friend of the Atlanteans!
The days of celebration are always short. After the Atlantean assembly, Jeno led everyone away from Atlantis.
Using the ocean vessel gifted by the King, the group bypassed New York, piloting the vessel to shore at a port not far from Washington.
Not only Jeno returned to S.W.O.R.D., but also Namo's corpse.
"Hmm, put him in there." Jeno pointed with his chin at a nearby display case, instructing his Agents to carry Namoaway.
The Agents carried Namo away, and Jeno returned to his seventh-floor office.
Before he had even settled in, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
"Click."
Three figures pushed and jostled their way into the office.
It was Erskine, Zola, and Howard.
Jeno turned his chair, leaning back in the recliner, staring at the three of them with a half-smile, "Something wrong?"
He didn't even need to think; it must have been Viktor or Logan, some bigmouth, who had revealed his gains in the underwater World, which was why the three scientists had rushed to find Jeno.
"Ahem, Officer Jeno."
Howard put on a fawning expression, an expression rarely seen on the proud Howard's face. But today, hearing that Jeno had acquired Atlantean technology, the man couldn't care less about his composure. Atlantean technology, thousands of years of developed technology in Jeno's hands—this was enough to drive any scientist mad!
"I know what you've come for."
Jeno chuckled, not playing coy, and pulled out an Atlantean storage device from his pocket, tossing it to the three.
The USB-shaped storage device arced through the air, and the three quickly caught it, treasuring it as if it were a priceless gem.
"This records Atlantis's ocean technology. Their utilization of seawater far surpasses that of surface dwellers." Jenoexplained to the three, "Crack it as soon as possible and find projects that S.W.O.R.D. can use."
Jeno stood up again, looking out the window with his hands behind his back, saying:
"I want to make S.W.O.R.D. even stronger!"
The three nodded repeatedly and left with the storage device.
After the three left, Jeno sat back down, pulled a phone from his drawer, and dialed.
Soon, a male voice came from the other end of the line, low and full of respect: "General Jeno, you called for me."
"Hmm." Jeno said blandly, his gaze sweeping over the desk, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Yesterday, Admiral Jack expressed his dissatisfaction with me, and I'm someone who doesn't like it when others dislike me."
Jeno didn't finish his sentence, but the person on the other end of the phone already understood the unspoken meaning.
He said, "Your will, General!"